Hale and hearty in Alpine Shire

ALPINE Shire is among the best places to live to avoid a heart attack.

ALPINE Shire is among the best places to live to avoid a heart attack.

The latest figures from the Heart Foundation released last week set the standard at about 39.4 incidences per 10,000 people, the numbers adjusted to reflect the age spread in shires across the nation.

The number is well below the national average and the best among surrounding shires.

Towong (39.6) is the nearest rival, Wodonga (58.3) the worst performing in the North East and ninth worst in Victoria.

The stats also show that nearby neighbour Wangaratta (49.2) is likely to see an extra 10 victims per 10,000 compared to Alpine Shire residents.

The latest data flies in the face of numbers released last year from a range of sources between 2012 and 2014 that suggested the shire’s population also has a proportionally higher than average number of heart conditions.

But the latest figures revealed regional Victorians are more likely than inner city Melbourne dwellers to be admitted to hospital for heart-related conditions including heart attack, heart failure and angina.